Ex-Oz greats call for accountability after England regains Ashes

August 25th, 2009 LONDON - Ashes hero Andrew Flintoff stunned England fans when he emerged from boozy celebrations sober, and said how the emotion of the day moved him to tears. Flintoff clutched cans of Red Bull as he modestly denied he was one of the all-time greats.

August 25th, 2009 LONDON - All rounder Andrew Flintoff, who underwent a knee operation 24 hours after his heroics helped England regain the Ashes, wants to become best one day player in the world. Flintoff was devastated last week when told by specialist Andy Williams that he would require more surgery as he has already had four on his right ankle.

August 24th, 2009 LONDON - Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has refused to rule out being back in England in 2013 after losing the Ashes here again. Ponting has probably played his last Ashes Test in England however he conceded he could have unfinished business here.

August 18th, 2009 LONDON - England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff says his retirement from Test cricket will not be a distraction for the team in the last Ashes Test at the Brit Oval. FLintoff expects to be fit for the fifth Test against Australia that starts Thursday as he continues to battle with the knee injury that forced him to call time on his Test career.

August 14th, 2009 SURREY - Retired Australian all rounder Stuart Law has said that he would be a better option to save England's Ashes campaign in the fifth and final test match to be played at The Oval next week. Law said that instead of picking Mark Ramprakash or Robert Key, England should include him in the final eleven to strengthen their middle order.

July 25th, 2009 LONDON - England fast bowler Steve Harmison will retire from Test cricket after the ongoing Ashes series. Harmison, 30, is said to be tired of the treadmill and will apparently also quit one-day international cricket and Twenty20 internationals.

July 8th, 2009 LONDON - Former England fast bowler Bob Willis has said that the hosts must hammer home their spin advantage in Cardiff and get their Ashes quest off to a flyer. Willis, who claimed 325 wickets during his international career, and is now a Sky Sports expert, told Sun Sport that England can call on Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar to do the job that is expected of them, while Australia, on the other hand, have just Nathan Hauritz and part-timers Michael Clarke, Marcus North and Simon Katich.

July 7th, 2009 LONDON - England captain Andrew Strauss is confident that his boys have the ability to handle the pressure of playing in the Ashes. Strauss believes that England cricketers have to stay calm even in a tense situation if they want to repeat the success of 2005, when they won the Ashes after 18 years.

July 3rd, 2009 LONDON - With just five days left for the Ashes, Australian captain Ricky Ponting again made it clear that he is not happy with John Buchanan's decision to join the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as an adviser. "I just hope I don't see him with an England jumper on.

June 30th, 2009 LONDON - All rounder Andrew Flintoff has warned his England team-mates to avoid basking in the memory of their 2005 Ashes triumph. Flintoff, fit again after a knee operation, insists England must look forward as they bid to beat the Australians this summer.

June 12th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian coach Tim Nielsen isn't losing his sleep over his predecessor John Buchanan's decision to joining the England cricket board ahead of the Ashes. Buchanan surprised everyone by joining England's elite cricket set-up before the Ashes and will work with their under-19 and second-string Lions teams.

May 31st, 2009 MELBOURNE - Skipper Ricky Ponting insists that Australia will use the Ashes series to show it is still the most intimidating force in world cricket. The Australian captain is adamant Phillip Hughes, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus showed during the recent Test series victory in South Africa that they can cope with the pressure of tough opposition in a hostile environment.

May 31st, 2009 LONDON - John Buchanan, architect of Australia's 5-0 win in the 2006 Ashes, can switch loyalties this year. Buchanan, who recently lost his advisory contract with Cricket Australia (CA) was in England last week for meetings with England officials and members of the team coaching staff about their Ashes strategy and planning.

May 31st, 2009 LONDON - The architect of Australia's thumping 5-0 victory in the last Ashes series Down Under in 2006/07, former coach John Buchanan, was in England last week for meetings with England officials and members of the team coaching staff about their Ashes strategy and planning. n a revelation bound to shock Australian cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board invited Buchanan after recently losing his advisory contract with Cricket Australia and having worked briefly with the England Lions squad in New Zealand last winter, The Telegraph reported.

May 31st, 2009 SYDNEY - Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has warned England to not breathe too easily before the start of the Ashes campaign on July 8 in Cardiff, after the retirement of bowling greats Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. Haddin enjoyed a view of the new-look bowling attack during the recent Test series win over South Africa, and was adamant that Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Shane Watson would help spearheads Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee and Stuart Clark could turn the tables on their old foe.